Method of making metal articles



E. M. WISE mmon or mum mam. ARTICLES Filed Nov. 5, 1926 INVENTOR/ M715 9 3 BY 74".) Z W,%L#M ATTORNEYj article is a very difficult an process as it is necessary to subject the article Patented Oct. 30, 1928.

- UNITED STATES EDMUN MEBRIMAN WISE, 0F CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO WADSWOBTH WATCH CASE COMPANY, OF DAYTON, KENTUCKY, A CORPORATION OF KENTUCKY.

METHOD OF MAKING METAL ARTICLES;

Application med November 5, 1926. semi No. 140,511.

tricately engraved, carved or embossed articles of solid metal.

In the manufacture of plated ornamental articles of intricate configuration, it has been customary to first plate a sheet, strip or wire of the base metal with the desired nobler metal, such as gold or silver, and to subsequently shape the plated article by numerous bending, stamping and die operations into the desired form. This shapin of the plated d complicated to a great many forming and shaping operations which gradually change its shape and thus avoid breaking the layer of plating metal or rendering this layer excessively thin.

If the base metal is formed to its final shape and stamped with a die, or otherwise engraved or carved-with an intricate desigxli, and subsequently plated and polished, t e

fine detail and clear cut lines and surfaces of the design are lost, the plating metal covering and obliterating the intricate configuration of the design.

With the above and other considerations inmind, it is proposed in accordance with the present invention to provide a simplified method of making plated metal articles having intricate designs thereon resembling engraving or carving and, more specifically, the present invention contemplates a method of this nature in which a minimum number of forming and shaping operations are emplolzed and in which the article is finished wit a uniform layer of plating metal thereon and with a clear cut design on the surface thereof.

()ther specific objects, advantages and characteristic features of the present invention will appear as the description thereof progresses.

in describing the invention, reference will be made to the accompanying drawing, in which;

Fig. 1 represents a piece of unformed and uncoated base metal for use in making an article in accordance with the method of the present invention;

2 represents the base metal formed to approximately the desired shape and coated with a nobler metal;

Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the formed and coated metal taken along the line 3-3 of.

Fig. 2;

Fi 4 represents the formed and coated artic e which has been subjected to the final forming operation; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

The improved method .of the present ,invention will be described in connection with the manufacture of a filled or plated bow for a watch case, it being understood that this is merely a representative exam 1c of the man articles which may be formed y this methodl Referring to the drawing, the stock or base metal from which the bow is to be formed is made in the shape of a straight rod or wire 1, and this wire is first cut to the desired length and then bent, pressed or stamped to a form which a proximatel resembles that desired in the ished artic e. As the base is applied, this pre-forming can be accomplished with a minimum number of opera tions, it being possible in many cases to stamp or die cut the article to the desired form in a single operation. In pro-forming the base metal, a die operation is preferably employed which cuts an intricate ornamental design 2 on the surface of the bow, this design being cut to approximately its final form as shown in Fig. 2.

After being pro-formed, the bow is plated with a suitable metal, such as gold or silver, by the usual electro-plating process, 'or by any other suitable method. After this plating operation, the bow is preferably heated to a suitable temperature to secure a firm union between the plate and the base metal. It has been found that temperatures from 200 C. up are suitable for this purpose, and that this heatin process provides a firmer union between t e plate and the base metal than can be obtained by the plating proces alone.

When the plating metal 3 is applied to the roughly formed base metal 1, the outline of the design and the details of the shape of the article are somewhat blurred andobscured as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. In accordance with the resent invention, the pro-formed and plated article is subjected to a final forming operation which referably consists of pressing or stamping 5X6 bow in a die which is shaped to conform with the desired final shape, and is provided with means for impressing the intricate ornamental design thereon in its final form. The finished article which has been subjected to the final forming operation has a clear-cut intricate design thereon which closely resembles enggtving, as clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 5. e bow ma be polished either before .or after the fina forming operation. 7 In some cases where the design to be impressed is very fine and delicate, it is preferable to im ress this design only after the article has een plated, the base metal being slliapeeil with smooth surfaces before being a P Since the base metal is formed to approximately its final shape before being plated, the

plated article is not appreciably deformed or stressed in the final operation; and there is no danger of removing the plating metal or rendering it excessively thin. Also, the final forming operation gives the ornamental desi a sharp and clear-cut appearance resemblmg very closely a solid article which has been engraved or carved.

would tend to cut or stretch the plate to an excessively thin layer if the article were so punched or drawn after the plating operation. Also, where articles are to be formed with an intricate design on the surface thereof, the method of the present invention leaves the design .very sharp and clearly cut, thus resembling carved or engraved work.

The plating metal employed may be gold, silver, alloys or' gold or silver with other metals, or any other desired metal or metals which are suitable for plating work.

Although the method of the present invention has been described in connection with a single specific article,'it should be understood 1,esa,s1o

that the invention is not limited to the article shown, but is applicable to the manufacture. of a great variety of plated articles. The method of the present invention can be advantageously employed in the manufacture of watch cases, plated table ware, plated instruments of many kinds, all forms of plated jewelry and, in fact, in the manufacture of all plated metal articles which are bent,

punched, drawn or otherwise stressed in their forming operations. a

I claim:

'1. A method of making plated metal articles having intricate irre ularities in their surfaces, comprising shaping a base metal substantially to the desired form including said surface irregularities, coatin the shaped base metal with a suitable met and then subjecting the coated article to a final shaping operation to bring out said surface irregularities.

2. A method of manufacturing plated metal articles, comprising the pre-formmg of a base metal to approximately the shape desired in the finished article, electro-plating the pre-formed base metal with a nobler metal, heating the plated article to obtain a fii'm unioi bebtsvggen tllie base metalh and :23 p ate, an su uent ressin t e p a article to the desired fir ial shape.

3. A method of making plated articles having intricate ornamental designs thereon, comprising pre-formin a base metal to approximate y the desire shape and design of the finished article, coating the pre-formed base metal with a nobler metal, and subsequantly subjecting the plated article to a die operation for bringing the article and the design thereon to the final form.

4. A method of forming intricate ornamental designs on plated articles, comprisin pre forming a base metal to approximate y the design required, coating a nobler metal on the base metal and subsequently subjecting the plated article to a'final die operation to bring the design thereon to its finished form.

5. A method of formin intricate ornamental designs on plated artic es, comprising preforming a base metal to approximately the design required, depositing a nobler metal on the base metal, heating the plated metal, and subsequently subjecting the plated article to a final die operation to bring the design thereon to its final form. g

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

EDMUND MERRIMAN WISE. 

